The latest food shortage to hit restaurants across the nation amid the coronavirus pandemic is ketchup.
According to USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, restaurants are in short supply of ketchup packets, which restaurants have relied on for takeout orders.
According to the WSJ, the shortage hit popular restaurants like Texas Roadhouse and Long John Silver's.
The newspaper reported the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had asked restaurants to ditch shared ketchup bottles for packets or other single-use containers.
"Avoid using or sharing items that are reusable, such as menus, condiments, and any other food containers," the CDC wrote. "Instead, use disposable or digital menus (menus viewed on cellphones), single-serving condiments, and no-touch trash cans and doors."
According to the restaurant-business platform Plate IQ, the ketchup shortage has caused packet prices to rise 13% since January 2020.
USA Today reported that Kraft Heinz is working to increase its supplies to produce 12 billion packets a year.
